Reykjavík Grapevine - 18.07.2014, Qupperneq 16

Once a year, we like to take a step back and
celebrate our little city. It’s not that Reykjavík
is a city without problems, or that it’s a place
that doesn’t have plenty of ways in which
it could improve. This probably goes
without saying. We at Grapevine
spend a lot of time being critical, af-
ter all, and by and large we’re a bunch
of cynics. But once a year we like to set
all that aside and appreciate the things
that make Reykjavík a pretty great place
to live.
As ever, our BEST OF REYKJAVÍK!
issue is about big-upping stuff, giving out
mad props and patting people on the shoul-
der. Our list is, of course, not a scientific one,
and it is certainly contestable. It should be
used as a starting point for a conversation;
something for you to read, verify, distrust,
totally disagree with, argue over, send us an-
gry rants about and enjoy.
HOW WE DID IT: We’ve polled readers
on Facebook, we’ve discussed in bars, we’ve
consulted our resident experts, we’ve
argued, revised, and argued some
more. And we think we’ve come up
with a pretty great representation of
the finest that Reykjavík has to offer.
Now, of course, not everyone is going to
agree with our choices, and that’s per-
fectly fine—variety in opinion and taste
adds spice to life and anyway, we love a good
debate. Enjoy, and remember to send your
suggestions to bestof@grapevine.is for consid-
eration in our 2015 edition.
Illustrations by Siggi Odds
Best Burger
“Freedom Burger,”
KEX Hostel
The Best Burger award has often been
a contentious one, with the office argu-
ing back and forth between Vitabarinn
and Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar, but this
year we have a clear winner and it is
KEX Hostel’s spicy “Freedom” burger.
Consisting of high quality grass-fed free
range beef, Ísbúi cheese, caramelised
onion mayonnaise, veggies and fries on
the side, it is absolutely, mouthwater-
ingly overkill for a regular burger, with
the only complaint imaginable being the
slightly steep price of 2,490 ISK. We've
heard enough local chefs compliment-
ing the burger, though, to convince us to
select it as the Best Burger in Reykjavík.
2013: Vitabar
2012: Grillmarket
2011: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
2010: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
2009: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
Best Veggie Burger
Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
“A great veggie burger,” according to one
of Grapevine’s more refined gourmands,
“has 25 ingredients—minimum.” This
is all fine and good for the dedicated
home chef, but when you’re on the run
and want the tactile satisfaction of biting
into a tasty burger (minus the murder),
Búllan’s got you covered. The patty is
juicy on the inside but has a nice crispy
texture on the outside. And, even better,
it doesn’t fall apart the minute you bite
into it, which anyone who’s sampled her
fair share of veggie burgers will know is a
kind of special triumph. Also, we’re told,
“if you add bacon to it, it’s fucking awe-
some.” So there’s that.
2013: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
2012: Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
2011: Hamborgarafabrikkan
2010: Saffran
2009: Drekinn
Best Specialty Burger
“The Empire State”
Roadhouse
“Everyone has these fucked up burg-
ers now,” says one Grapevine panel-
list. “Where can you just get a proper
burger?” Come to think of it, we have no
idea. Suffice to say that while the burgers
at Roadhouse (“a hilarious place to find
yourself”) are far from “proper,” they
are pretty damn close to Awesome—or,
like, Totally Horrifying, but that’s kind of
the same thing, right? Case in point: The
Empire State, a double burger whose pat-
ties have been rent asunder by a fried egg,
onion rings, bacon, jalapeños, several
sauces, and…wait for it…a grilled cheese
sandwich. Yes, you read that right. There
is a second friggin’ sandwich lodged in
the middle of this burger. “The first bite is
amazing,” says our resident competitive
eater, “and the last bite is terrible. At what
point do you like yourself in this pro-
cess?” SPOILER: at no point while eating
this burger will you like yourself. But,
should you choose to accept this mission
and complete it (mostly) unscathed, your
sweat will undoubtedly smell of meat for
at least 72 hours, which has got to count
for something.
2013: Hamborgarafabrikkan’s
Christmas burger
2012: Vitabar’s ‘Forget-me-not’
2011: Vitabar
2010: Hamborgarafabrikkan
2009: Vitabar
Best Slice
The Deli
In a city brimming with cardboard-
tasting slices on offer, The Deli wins this
award for the second year in a row for
doing what the competition should be
doing: offering well made slices with a di-
verse selection of toppings. In addition to
the standard pepperoni and margherita
options, The Deli also offers meaty pizzas
with pepperoni, minced beef, jalapeno,
and cream cheese, or vegetarian options
such as peanuts, spinach, feta and pep-
pers. To top it all off, the pizzas are rea-
sonably priced, with a wonderful lunch
offer of two full-sized slices for 700 ISK,
or three slices for 900 ISK.
2013: Devitos
2012: Devitos
2011: Deli
2010: Deli
2009: Deli
Best Pizza
Hverfisgata 12
In an era when everyone is obsessed
with visibility and self-promotion, it
may come as a surprise that Hverfisgata
12 wins our best pizza award. The place
doesn't advertise, the house isn't marked
"PIZZA" in big tourist-trapping letters
and it doesn't even have a Facebook page!
As far as we can tell, people only know
about it through word of mouth, which
can be pulled off because Hverfisgata 12
offers the kind of pizzas you are unlikely
to have tried before, with inventive top-
pings such as barbecue sauce, shredded
pork, pears, roasted seeds and horserad-
ish cream. The attached bar is also prop-
erly decked out and staff are well versed
at making cocktails, in case you fancy
having a nightcap before heading home.
2013: Gamla Smiðjan
2012: La Luna trattoria-pizzeria
2011: Gamla Smiðjan
2010: Gamla Smiðjan
2009: Devitos Pizza
Best Ice Cream
Valdís
Valdís takes the ice cream cone throne
for the second year in a row and, judging
by the way they’re churning up creative
new flavours, their reign shows no sign of
faltering. Boasting an eclectic variety of
freshly-made gelato, sorbet, smoothies,
shakes, and waffle cones, Valdís contin-
ues to be Reykjavík’s undisputed dairy
champ, hence the queue at all hours, even
on a rainy day.
2013: Valdís
2012: YoYo
2011: Ísbúðin Ísland
2010: Ísbúðin Ísland
2009: Ísbúð Vesturbæjar
Dining and
Grubbing
16
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2014
Best Of
Reykjavík!